Meat rabbits are known for their short feeding period, tender meat, and high digestibility. Processing them into finished products makes for a delicious dish that's gaining popularity among more people. However, the techniques for preparing rabbit meat are not widely known. Here is a detailed guide on how to process rabbit meat:
First, slaughtering and skinning live rabbits.
1. There are several methods to slaughter rabbits, but we will focus on two that help preserve the quality of the skin without causing damage or contamination.
(1) The bat hit method: Lift the rabbit’s hind legs and strike the back of its head with a wooden stick or similar object, about 3–4 cm in diameter, to damage the brain’s life center, causing quick death. Be careful with the force—too much can cause bleeding from the nose.
(2) Vinegar irrigation method: Rabbits are very sensitive to vinegar. For a 4 kg rabbit, administer 20–30 ml of vinegar via a syringe. This causes breathing difficulties, heart failure, and foaming at the mouth, leading to quick death.
2. After slaughtering, the rabbit must be skinned immediately. If left too long, the body stiffens, making it difficult to remove the skin without tearing. The peeling process should be done carefully to avoid blood contamination.
(1) Use a sharp knife to make a circular cut around the neck, behind the ears, and along the joints of the hind legs and front legs. Then, pull the hind legs inward along the inner thighs.
(2) Suspend the hind legs and peel off the thighs and tail base. Pull down the skin from the abdomen and back using both hands.
(3) Remove excess fat and meat, then cut along the abdominal midline to open the skin. Flatten the fur on a board, securing it with small nails so the hair faces outward. Shape it into a rectangle for better drying.
(4) After peeling, trim the head and forelimbs, remove internal organs, fat, and tendons. Finally, cut off the hind legs at the joints to leave the complete body.
Second, processing cooked rabbit dishes.
1. Wrapped silk rabbit preparation:
(1) Select young rabbits aged 4–6 months, ensuring the meat is firm and free from damage. Remove all internal organs except the kidneys. The carcass should be clean and well-prepared.
(2) Marinate the rabbit using either dry or wet pickling methods depending on the season. In summer, use a water pickle solution: dissolve 5 kg salt and 50 g saltpeter in water, submerge 100 rabbits, and turn them every 4 hours for 10–12 hours. In autumn and winter, mix 50 kg salt, 50 g allspice, and 12.5 g saltpeter. Sprinkle 25 g salt per rabbit, layer them in a container, and turn twice every two days for 5 days.
(3) Prepare a coating mixture: combine 50 g soybean meal, 50 g Amomum villosum, 100 g sesame, 2.5 kg wind tempeh, 100 g allspice, and 500 g white sugar. Mix with 75 ml white wine and 0.75 kg soy sauce, then add 100 g pepper powder or 50 g black pepper. Apply this evenly to the inside of the rabbit’s bladder and thigh.
(4) Shape the rabbit by wrapping it tightly with a fine rope, spiraling from the head to the hind legs, tying at the joints. Ensure even spacing between ropes (1.5–2 cm). Hang the wrapped rabbit in a well-ventilated area. After 6–7 hours, smoke it over charcoal with a small amount of sawdust. Keep the temperature around 60°C. Once cooled, store for 1–3 months.
2. Spiced rabbit processing:
(1) Ingredients: 5 kg of rabbit carcass, 150 g onion and ginger, 250 g salt, pepper, aniseed, Amomum, cinnamon, galangal, clove (each 25 g), 100 g cooking wine, and 100 g brown sugar.
(2) Rinse the rabbit in clean water for 2–3 hours to remove blood, then dry it. Place all ingredients in a pot with enough water to cover the rabbit. Simmer until the soup reduces and the rabbit is fully cooked. Cook for 30 minutes to an hour, checking for doneness. Once done, let it simmer on low heat until fully cooked. Dry the rabbit with a cloth.
(3) Smoke the dried rabbit by placing it on a smoking rack with some dried hardwood sawdust mixed with a bit of brown sugar. Cover and smoke until white smoke appears, repeating the process twice for about 30 minutes.
Features: The whole rabbit has a reddish-brown color and is not overly fragrant. If stored in a plastic bag, it can last for several weeks.
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